Open sourcing government

I work for the UK government

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

Open sourcing government

Anna ShipmanTechnical Architect Government Digital Service @annashipman

How we got here

@annashipman GDS

The UK’s Government Digital Service (GDS)

@annashipman GDS

Our job is to change the way government works

@annashipman GDS

GOV.UKwas first

@annashipman GDS

Worked with eight departments to improve services

@annashipman GDS

Digital services so good that people prefer to use them

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

The owner had tofill in this form

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

91% user satisfaction

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

45% of prisoners lose contact with their family while inside

@annashipman GDS

39% more likelyto reoffendif not visited

@annashipman GDS

The prisonergave this formto the guard

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

85% user satisfaction

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

We are supporting other parts of government

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

The UK government has committed to making code open

@annashipman GDS

Why we code in the open

Potential for reuse

@annashipman GDS

You don’t know what will be useful to others

@annashipman GDS

Increases transparency

@annashipman GDS

It’s also nice to show what you’re working on

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

Code in the open by default

@annashipman GDS

The potential downsides of coding in the open

It can be difficult to get started

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

Possibility of making mistakes, e.g. passwords, credentials

@annashipman GDS

Be able to recover quickly

@annashipman GDS

Have processes that make mistakes harder

@annashipman GDS

Separate code and configuration

@annashipman GDS

Coding in the open forces you to do things properly

@annashipman GDS

When to keep code closed

@annashipman GDS

Configuration should be closed source

@annashipman GDS

Configuration should be closed source – maybe

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

Security should be closed source

@annashipman GDS

Security should be closed source – maybe

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

Security thinking has to be holistic – users, culture, context

@annashipman GDS

Focus on reducingmean time to recovery

@annashipman GDS

Good security workseven if it’s open

@annashipman GDS

Policy not yet announced

@annashipman GDS

Code as if you are going to release it

@annashipman GDS

No credentials or secrets

@annashipman GDS

Good commit messages

@annashipman GDS

Good documentation

@annashipman GDS

But you would do that anyway!

@annashipman GDS

We are not perfect

Change can be very difficult

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

You can do this in your organisation

@annashipman GDS

Other people using our code

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

Coding in the openvs open source

We don’t promiseto support it

@annashipman GDS

We’ve not committedto maintain it

@annashipman GDS

There are some open source projects

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

Originally coded in the open

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

Other parts of governmentare using it

@annashipman GDS

@annashipman GDS

Maintaining open source has challenges

@annashipman GDS

Getting time to work on it

@annashipman GDS

Open source Thursdays

@annashipman GDS

Contributors taking it in a new direction

@annashipman GDS

Talk to people

@annashipman GDS

What we are doing next

Identify most useful projects to open source

@annashipman GDS

Helping teams code in the open

@annashipman GDS

Increase our OSS contributions

@annashipman GDS

How you can get involved

Get your organisation coding in the open

@annashipman GDS

Let me know if you want to use our code

@annashipman GDS

Come work for GDS!gds.blog.gov.uk/jobs/

@annashipman GDS

Anna ShipmanTechnical Architect Government Digital Service @annashipman

@annashipman GDS

Personalised licence plate image credit• flickr.com/photos/ambernectar/3748854184/

Studies about prison visits• thinknpc.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Investing-in-family-ties.pdf• webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110201125714/http:/www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/

research-factors-reoffending.pdfThe Digital Service Standard• gov.uk/service-manual/service-standard

GDS Operations open source• gds-operations.github.ioBlog posts• gdstechnology.blog.gov.uk/2016/09/30/easing-the-process-of-pull-request-reviews/• gds.blog.gov.uk/2014/10/08/when-is-it-ok-not-to-open-all-source-code/• gdstechnology.blog.gov.uk/2016/01/19/opening-gov-uks-puppet-repository/• identityassurance.blog.gov.uk/2015/12/21/gov-uk-verify-technical-delivery-update-21-

december-2015/